{"id":2450,"date":"2026-05-01T08:35:57","date_gmt":"2026-05-01T08:35:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/visitalta.no\/en\/?post_type=article&p=2450"},"modified":"2025-10-23T08:43:19","modified_gmt":"2025-10-23T08:43:19","slug":"sami-food-traditions-from-nature-to-table","status":"publish","type":"article","link":"https:\/\/visitalta.no\/en\/article\/sami-food-traditions-from-nature-to-table\/","title":{"rendered":"Sami food traditions: from nature to table"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\tSami food traditions are not just about the ingredients on the plate. They are just as much about culture, traditions and respect for what nature gives us.\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\n

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Sami food traditions live on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For generations, the Sami have lived close to nature and harvested what nature has to offer, in a way that provides nourishment and preserves resources for the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014 The Sami have harvested from nature for generations. We have so much good in nature that we harvest from it, says Nils Per Sara.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He works at the family business in Sami Siida in Alta, and sees how the old food traditions are still going strong. He goes on to say that the food traditions have not changed significantly in recent years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Nils Per Sara in the family business Sami Siida. Photo: D\u00e1nil R\u00f8kke<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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\u2014 The food traditions are exactly the same today as they were for my grandparents and great-grandparents. The tradition is still maintained. We smoke meat in the same way, but no longer for the same reasons, he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the past, people smoked meat to preserve it through long winters, but in today’s society with freezers and refrigerators, people smoke meat for its taste.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How they use the whole reindeer in Sami food traditions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Reindeer herding has been the lifeblood of many Sami communities, especially on the Finnmark plateau. Reindeer provide meat, hides, bones and antlers. Nothing should go to waste.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014 It is important to use the whole animal. Why take a life without using everything? It is about respect for the animal and the life it has lived, says Maret Inga Buljo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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March Inga Buljo in Sami Siida. Photo: Daniel R\u00f8kke<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

She is also part of the family business and emphasizes preserving the teachings of her ancestors and passing them on to new generations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The meat can be served in many different forms: dried, smoked or cooked, in traditional forms such as bidus, or in more modern variations, such as on pizza. The skin has provided warmth and many practical items, such as sleeping pads, mittens and hats.<\/p>\n\n\n\t

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